Poroshenko reports record number of attacks on Ukraine in Donbas last night
A record number of shelling incidents has been observed in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.
"There was a record number of shelling incidents last night. Nearly a hundred. A significant number of shots were fired from heavy artillery systems," Poroshenko said at a ceremony commemorating pilots killed in the ATO zone, which was held in the town of Brody in Lviv region.
In his words, if earlier attacks were mounted with the use of small arms and mortars and they focused along the contact line, now the enemy uses heavy artillery systems and targets depots and command posts, which are located 8-12 km from the contact line.
"Now the enemy is focusing heavy artillery fire on command posts, depots, which are located eight, 12 and sometimes 22 km from the contact line," he said.
"The enemy tries to use the acts of provocation to justify own steps to derail the Minsk process," he added.
Poroshenko also reported that following his instructions, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine General Viktor Muzhenko is now in the ATO zone. "I personally monitored artillery shelling yesterday. The last report arrived at about one o'clock in the morning, and I can emphasize and give an answer to the Ukrainian people: the Ukrainian armed forces are ready to fight back on the front, and we have enough reserves [to repel attacks] in any direction," the president said.
